Two-Tank Refrigerant Circulation for Multi-Evaporator Cooling Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling devices for electronic apparatuses face challenges in downsizing and simplifying their structure while maintaining effective refrigerant circulation, often resulting in either dryout due to insufficient refrigerant or inefficiency due to excessive refrigerant, and they either require multiple pumps or complex structures.
Innovation Solution
A cooling device with a circulation circuit including evaporators, a condenser, tanks, and a bypass pipe, where the second tank is positioned higher than the evaporators, and the bypass pipe has a larger inner diameter than the distribution pipes, allowing gravity-driven refrigerant flow and reducing pressure loss, thus eliminating the need for multiple pumps and simplifying the structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple pumps are used to circulate refrigerant to multiple evaporators, then refrigerant circulation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the refrigerant circulation function into a single pump located in the common refrigerant circulation path that serves all evaporators. This single pump replaces what would otherwise require multiple pumps, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining reliable refrigerant circulation to all evaporators through the shared circulation path.
2Ease of manufacture
If refrigerant is stored in tanks at low positions, then manufacturing is easier, but refrigerant supply to evaporators becomes insufficient causing dryout
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the refrigerant storage tanks at heights that create appropriate gravitational potential differences relative to the evaporators. By placing tanks at elevated positions, the system utilizes gravity to drive refrigerant flow toward the evaporators, ensuring sufficient refrigerant supply without requiring additional pumping pressure, thus preventing dryout while maintaining manufacturable structure.
3Volume of moving object
If pipe diameters are reduced to downsize the apparatus, then volume is reduced, but pressure loss increases reducing cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different pipe diameter specifications to different locations in the refrigerant circulation system. Common circulation paths that carry refrigerant to multiple evaporators are equipped with larger diameter pipes to minimize pressure loss, while individual distribution lines to specific evaporators can have smaller diameters. This localized differentiation optimizes the balance between apparatus downsizing and pressure loss reduction.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration ensures continuous refrigerant supply to evaporators, preventing dryout and maintaining cooling efficiency while downsizing the electronic apparatus and simplifying its structure, allowing for more efficient heat management and easier maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
the bypass pipe has a larger inner diameter than the distribution pipes, allowing gravity-driven refrigerant flow and reducing pressure loss
Implementation Method 2
a condenser coupled to the plurality of evaporators through a gas-phase pipe
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling device includes a plurality of evaporators thermally coupled to a plurality of heat generating devices, respectively, a condenser coupled to the plurality of evaporators through a gas-phase pipe, a first tank coupled to the condenser through a liquid-phase pipe and configured to store a refrigerant therein, a second tank disposed at a position higher than the plurality of evaporators and configured to store the refrigerant therein, a plurality of distribution pipes each through which a corresponding evaporator of the plurality of evaporators is coupled to the second tank, a pump coupled to the first tank and the second tank through coupling pipes, respectively, and a bypass pipe through which the second tank is coupled to one of the first tank and the liquid-phase pipe.